Measles cases still high in England

The number of cases of measles in England is at its highest level since 1994, new figures have shown.

There were 1,168 confirmed cases of the disease between January and May 2013, compared with just 712 for the same period the previous year.

Public Health England said the number of cases fell from 299 in April to 188 in May, suggesting that the MMR catch-up programme - which is vaccinating ten to 16-year-olds who missed out on their routine jabs - may be having an effect.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

Around 56,000 children have now received their first MMR dose thanks to the catch-up campaign, according to preliminary figures released by the organisation.

However, there is still a long way to go before the programme reaches its target figure of 120,000 extra ten to 16-year-olds to achieve the desired level of coverage.

Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at Public Health England, said that children who have not had the MMR vaccine are at 'high risk' of catching measles.

'The [catch-up] programme will continue until we reach as many children as possible in the age groups most affected,' she confirmed.

The materials in this web site are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor. The web site does not have answers to all problems. Answers to specific problems may not apply to everyone. If you notice medical symptoms or feel ill, you should consult your doctor - for further information see our Terms and conditions.